Prolimatech sent us the Mega Shadow, an improved version of its “Megahalems” with extended compatibility and some aesthetic modifications.

INTRODUCTION

Prolimatech was created by a group of cooling enthusiasts in 2008. When they released their Megahalems cooler they got a lot of buzz from news and reviews sites all over the world.

The “Megahalems” can be derived from the “Nehalem” chip name (Intel) and the cheer size of the cooler. You should definitely check out reviews of the Megahalems at testseek to see what the buzz was about.

Prolimatech’s latest product will be on display today, the “Prolimatech Mega Shadow”. I’m thrilled to have the work of fellow cooling enthusiasts in my hand and it’s going to be very interesting to see what its performance results will be.

First of all, let’s have a look at the specifications:

BUNDLE

The packaging is very good with protective foam around the heatsink as you can see from the images below.

Prolimatech provides everything you need to mount this heatsink on Socket 775, 1136 and 1156.

The heatsink doesn’t come with a fan which enables the user to choose whatever fan they wish. They have however included clips for mounting two 120mm fans. Prolimatech recommends that you use a fan with a rotation speed of 16000RPM if you want to have the max performance with this cooler. For a balanced performance they recommend a fan with a rotation speed around 800-1200RPM.

Other included accessories are the needed screws and mounting brackets and Prolimatech’s own Thermal Compound, the “Prolimatech PK-1”.

IN DETAIL: PROLIMATECH MEGA SHADOW

The Prolimatech Mega Shadow is a “tower” type cooler of extraordinary dimensions (170mm x 74mm x 158.7mm).

This baby weighs in at 790 grams (without a fan) so you will need to have fastened it good for it not to risk to hurt your motherboard or CPU (if you install it in a tower case).

Check out Prolimatech’s product page for the Mega Shadow to get some extra details of this cooler.

The Mega Shadow is made in black nickel which has a very pleasing look and feel to it. Otherwise the cooler’s design is almost exactly the same as the Megahalems’. The cooler is constructed of two independent towers which each are crossed by six heatpipes of copper with a diameter of 6mm.

According to Prolimatech, the distance between the fins has been optimized to produce the maximum heat dissipation.

In the top part of the cooler we can see the logo stamped into the fins. To me, this is a nice detail which gives me some kind of warm feeling in my chest of appreciation of the product.

It’s actually possible to install two 120mm fans on this cooler, one on each side.

The base of the cooler looks mean with the massive heatpipes crossing from side to side. It reminds me of the cylinder of a Harley motor cycle.

The heatpipes have been welded to the copper base which is the traditional method and different from the HDT system (Heat pipe Direct Touch) which has won more and more popularity lately.

The finish of the back plate could not be better, the polish is of excellent quality and the mirror effect is striking.

INSTALLATION AND TESTS

The obvious difference between the original Megahalems and the Mega Shadow is the black Nickel finish of the latter one. Nevertheless, the greater compatibility of the Mega Shadow makes it more attractive. The compatibility with LGA 775, 1156 and 1356 is naturally an extra selling point compared to “Megahalems” which only is compatible with socket 775 and 1366.

There is also a special mounting kit for AMD users which can be bought separately. This kit will make the Mega Shadow compatible with AMD sockets AM2/AM2+/AM3.

I installed the cooler on an Intel 1366 system.

Because a back plate is needed for the installation, I had to take the motherboard out of my case in order to complete the installation. I wanted to get this cooler secured tightly to the board for maximum stability and contact with the CPU.

Check out the images below to get a grasp of the installation process.

I actually had to resort to the manual to get the installation right. With it as support, I didn’t run into any problem at all and the installation process took me no longer than 5-10 minutes.

I chose to install two fans on the Mega Shadow because I wanted to see what it could perform if I really pushed it.

In order to analyze the performance of the Prolimatech Mega Shadow I used this test system:

In order to load the CPU to the maximum I used the software “Prime 95” during 20 minutes. I tested the fan with both 1 and two fans to get a reliable and relevant result.

The temperatures were measured with CoreTemp. The tests were made in a room temperature of 20 ˚C. I did the tests with the Intel Core i7 920 at 2.7GHz; 3.06GHz (overclocked) and 4.02 (really overclocked).

I set the voltage in BIOS to 1.16V when I ran the CPU at its normal speed and to 1.26V when overclocked. I deactivated “TurboBoost” but left “HyperThreading” activated.

I used the “Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm” fan in my tests and the rotation speed was set to 1450RPM.

Here are the results of my tests:

Obviously these are spectacular results. At no moment we reached critical temperatures, not even at 4GHz. This is truly remarkable since the Intel Core i7 920 can be run at 80°C – 85°C without risking anything.

Also, remember that I used software which loaded all four cores to 100% simultaneously. In reality this will almost never happen. Therefore these maximum temperatures are truly the extremes.

The results point to the conclusion that the gains by using two fans are minor. I actually found the Scythe Gentle Typhoon fans to have a great balance between cooling performance and noise level at 1450RPM.

As a little curiosity I also ran the CPU at 3.4GHz without HyperThreading enabled. The result was quite significant. With the HT activated the average temperature was 63°C, with HT deactivated the average temperature was 56°C, which is considerably lower.

CONCLUSIONS

The performance of the Mega Shadow is fantastic; no one can ever claim anything else. Compared to the Megahalems it looks better and has a better compatibility list. The only real competitor has to be the Thermalright TRUE Black (Revision C) which also is a huge cooler with excellent performance.

This is an amazing product no matter how you look at it. The only thing about it is its price at around $80 which is a lot of money to put out for a CPU cooler. If you consider that this cooler can actually compete with water cooling systems, then the price doesn’t seem that high. No matter the prize, I have to give this product my highest recommendations.

Pros:

• Exceptional performance
• Mounting system
• Lovely finish and design in black Nickel
• Good compatibility list

Cons:

• High price

The final score is 96 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Prolimatech Mega Shadow″ our Editor’s Choice Award.

Thanks goes out to Prolimatech for letting me review this cooler.

Author: Noel Íñiguez Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

The Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 is directed towards the more price aware consumers. It’s a product for anyone looking for a high quality cooling solution at a low price level.

INTRODUCTION

Arctic Cooling is one of the more well known manufacturers in the PC hardware industry, especially when it comes to smart cooling solutions. The company also manufactures power supplies and computer cases. The Swiss mark may be most known for the VGA coolers; ”Accelero Xtreme” and “Accelero Twin Turbo” which are available for more or less all the medium to high end graphics cards on the market.

Today I will take a closer look at a CPU cooler from Arctic Cooling which has been given an overhaul and has been released under a secondary revision, the “Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2”. This cooler excels in two ways; first: it’s really cheap and second: it’s compatible with a real long list of platforms including Intel’s and AMD’s newest sockets.

Here are the specifications of the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The “Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2” comes in a 100% see through plastic box which lets you see all the details of the cooler.

The included accessories are: a printed manual and two different setups of brackets and screws for installation either AMD or Intel systems No separate tube with thermal grease is included, instead it has been pre applied to the copper base of the cooler. The thermal grease used is the Arctic Cooling MX-2.

IN DETAIL: 7 ARCTIC COOLING FREEZER PRO REV.2

The Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 is a tower type cooler of relatively small dimensions. It’s one of the few CPU coolers compatible with the new 1366 and 1156 sockets from Intel. The cooler is made of 42 aluminum plates and the base is made of pure copper as are the three heatpipes.

In the following images you can see how the three heatpipes goes from the base to the top of the cooler.

The 92mm fan is pre fastened by Arctic Cooling but it is easy to remove for those of us interested in doing so.

The rotating speed of the fan is from 900 to 2500 rpm. It has a 4 pin PWM connector which is great because it allows us to control the rotation speed by software or alternatively the speed can be automatically controlled by the system, adapting the speed to the overall needs of the system.

There are also patented vibration dampeners placed between the fan and the fan chassis which you can see from the image below.

The base is made of copper and it comes with a pre applied layer of the Arctic Cooling MX-2 thermal grease. As you can see from the images below I have removed it to check out the finish of the base plate. Although the base hasn’t got the mirror effect the polish is still quite good, far better than that of its closest competitors.

INSTALLATION AND TESTS OF 7 ARCTIC COOLING FREEZER PRO REV.2

I did this test on an Intel system. The anchorage system could not be simpler but I am more a fan of using a back plate together with classic screws because I feel it gives me a better feel for how tight the cooler is fastened.

In order to put some pressure on the cooler I overclocked the E6400 CPU to 3.0GHz (375Mhz x8) and to 2.66Ghz (333Mhz x8), increasing its voltage up to 1.4 V. Here are the components in the test setup:

I used the software OCCT 3.0.1 to cram out the max of the system during 20 minutes. I did measurements of the temperature both before and at the end of this stress test. The room temperature was around 15 ˚C and the fan was PWN regulated during the test, i.e. the rotation speed of the fan was controlled by the system and adapted by the system load.

Here are the results of the test:

As you can see the from the graphs, the performance of the cooler is quite good. I don’t expect you will find a cooler with a better performance/price ratio on the market.

I wouldn’t recommend using this cooler for extreme overclocking but it does handle moderate overclocking excellent.

I was impressed by the low noise generated by the fan even at higher rotations speeds.

CONCLUSIONS

Normally you expect that if a product has a higher price, than either the performance or the quality is higher. Arctic Cooling is trying to tell us otherwise with the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2.

The Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Rev.2 turns out to be a great cooler, with spectacular finishing and a performance superior to many of its competitors.

Anyone looking to replace the Intel stock cooler with something else will do well to check out this cooler. It not only offers a great performance but what is really remarkable about it is the price level at around $30 (18€).

Pros:

• Good performance
• Good construction and finish
• Includes fan very good
• Big compatibility
• Low price

Cons:

• Installation method raises security questions

The final score is 88 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2″ our Recommended Award.

Thanks goes out to Arctic Cooling for letting me review this CPU cooler.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

The Zalman CNPS9900A LED is a huge high end CPU cooler which supports a load of CPUs from both AMD and Intel.

INTRODUCTION

The last couple of months have been busy for Zalman who have sent a few new coolers to the market. Amongst these are the CNPS10X series and CNPS9900 series.

The CNPS10X series introduced a new design for Zalman; the more classic tower type of CPU cooler. The CNPS9900A LED which I will take a look at today is based upon a concept which Zalman calls “Omega Heatpipe Design” from its similarities with the Greek letter Omega (Ω). That design was first introduced with the Zalman CNPS9300AT which I came in contact with a while back and which impressed me by its performance.

These are the specifications for the CNPS9900A LED:

The first thing that hit me when looking at the CNPS9900A LED is that it only utilizes three heat pipes. Most other high end manufacturers of big CPU coolers have gone to solutions with 5 or 6 heatpipes. This review should determine if Zalman has chosen a good path.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The CNPS9900A LED comes in a rather big box, which does nothing to hide the fact that this is truly a large CPU cooler. There’s an opening on the front and back sides of the box which lets us have a glimpse of the heatsink and the fan.

The included accessories are quite plentiful. Zalman have included a manual in; a sticker with the logo of the manufacturer; a tube of the Zalman ZM-STG2 thermal grease, the RC33P adapter and all the anchorages and stuff necessary for installation on a variety of sockets.

The RC33P is a device which allows us to regulate the turning speed of the fan by reducing the power from 12V to 7V. Of course if you have a fan controller you should use that instead because it offers more than two settings.

ZALMAN CNPS9900A LED IN DETAIL

The Zalman CNPS9900A LED is made almost completely in copper. The unique piece made of aluminum is the upper part of the base.

As you can see from the images above the fins on the back part of the heatsink is thicker than the front side. The reason for this is that the copper fins of the back part are the ones responsible for evacuating the heat.

It took me some time to find the two metallic legs that are anchored to the base and which hold up the fan in the middle of the two cylindrical copper fins.

In the back part of the fan I found the label that shows the fan’s model number and its electrical characteristics. In this case Zalman has installed a 120 mm fan with PWM capabilities (between 1000 and 2000 rpm).

INSTALLATION AND TESTS OF ZALMAN CNPS9900A LED

The installation of the fan is quite easy and it took me only a couple of minutes. When installing the fan on an AMD system, you must first fasten the incorporated paper clip, whereas with Intel systems you have to also install a back plate and the fasteners for each socket. I will not go into this further here; suffice to say that the installation is easy.

The other components I used for this review were the following:

I used two different processors for this review (both from AMD). I measured the CPU temperatures both in overclocked mode and with the factory settings.

In order to measure the temperatures of the CPU I used the values from the internal sensors on the CPUs. It’s the best way to get reliable readings. In order to load to the CPUs to the maximum, I used the software OCCT 3.1.

The fan speed was automatically regulated by PWM during the test, reason why the speed oscillated between 1000 and 1600 rpm. These are the results from the test:

As you can see from the graph above, the Zalman CNPS9900A LED is a very effective CPU cooler even though it’s not the most effective which I have tested. Even when I overclocked the CPUs, the CNPS9900A LED had no troubles what so ever to keep the processors cool.

As I said earlier, this cooler is PWM regulated. I monitored the speed during the tests and the max it reached was around 1500rpm. Even at that level the noise level was low. I turned up the fan manually to 2000rpm (max) and then the noise level was above my comfort level. However the fan moved an impressive volume of air at 2000rpm and it should be ideal to use in an overclocking session.

CONCLUSIONS

There are so many things I can say about the Zalman CNPS9900A LED, it is truly a remarkable product in terms of looks, design, size, weight, performance etc. But the one thing that really left an impression with me was its outstanding quality and finish.

When CNPS9900A LED is running it looks really nice with its blue LEDs which gives your system a nice touch provided you have a case with a side window.  Without being the highest performing CPU cooler I have tested, its overall performance is excellent. Its balance between moved volume of air, noise level and secured temperatures is impressive.

In my opinion, the Zalman CNPS9900A LED has only two negative aspects. First; it is really noisy at maximum power and second; its price around $75 is quite hefty and will exclude many consumers. The noise issue is easily solved thanks to the included accessories; you will never need to run the fan with full power. So anyone interested in this fan will have to decide if it’s worth the money. My personal conclusion is that it is worth it.

Pros:

• Good accessories/bundle
• Perfect finish
• Spectacular design
• Supports many CPUs/Sockets
• Good balance between performance/noise

Cons:

• Unbearable noise level above 1800 rpm
• High price

The final score is 92 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Zalman CNPS9900A LED″ our Editor’s Choice Award.

Thanks goes out to Zalman for letting me review this cooler.

Check out the computer cooling category at TestSeek.com!

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: Kingston is one of those companies who seem to have been around in the PC hardware industry forever. They have their fingers in many honey jars and today I will be taking a closer look at their “HyperX Fan”. A product which looks and design are something out of the ordinary.

INTRODUCTION

The last couple of years we have seen a general increase of focus on system cooling in the hardware business. Something that was unheard of just a couple of years back is standalone RAM memory coolers. Today, all high end memory manufacturers put on more or less cool looking memory heatsinks on their high performance RAM memory modules.

Kingston have taken it even further and launched a standalone cooling solution for memory modules, the Kingston HyperX Fan. At TestSeek.com we have currently collected 6 expert reviews and the average score is 88% which is a very high average expert rating. The product has also won no less than 6 (!) awards from the reviews.

The HyperX Fan is available as a standalone product or bundled with Kingston’s 6GB 2000- and 1800MHz triple-channel memory kits with the T1 heat spreaders for Intel Core i7 systems. Let’s take a look at the specifications:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The HyperX fan comes in a small and thin cardboard box. As you can see from the images below, there’s an opening in the box where you can see the upper side of the heat sink with its two fans. Turning the box over, I found the specifications printed on it in diverse languages.

When I opened the box I found a small English (only) manual and the plastic tray which protects the components of the HyperX Fan. The device comes disassembled, but it took me no more than two minutes to fasten the 4 provided screws.

KINGSTON HYPERX FAN IN DETAIL

The HyperX Fan is a very simple product. It’s made up of only 3 aluminum pieces that are assembled by the means of 4 screws. The main top piece holds the two 60mm fans. As you can see from the images below, the unit has a nice bluish metallic color to it. It’s the same color and material (anodized aluminum) as Kingstons T1 series.

Both fans are 60mm and of the 12V type, but it’s also possible to run them to 8V and 13.5V. The connector is of the standard 3 pin type.

The sides are two mirrored aluminum plates with the characteristic HyperX series “X” on the sides of them.

INSTALLATION AND TESTS

As I said above it’s really easy to assemble the different parts of the HyperX Fan. The next step is to fasten the assembled heat sink to your memory units which wasn’t any more complicated; all you need to do is adjust the same four screws as I talked about above.

Of course Kingston wants us to use their own products, so the HyperX cooling solution is only compatible with their own memory modules and more specifically the Kingston HyperX T1 Series. I had a kit of 3 x 2GB DDR2 (1066MHz 2.2V) lying around which I used for this review.

I overclocked this package using 2.35V with a frequency of 1120MHz (normal: 1066MHz 2.2V). I measured the temperatures with and without the HyperX mounted on the modules. Check out the graph below to see the results:

As you can see from the graph, I got some quite substantial improvements of the temperature both when the system was on full load and in idle mode. Still, we are not talking about any groundbreaking results, maybe because the T1 series are already equipped with a fairly effective cooling solution.

The operation of the fans at full fan rotation speed cannot be described as quiet, even though Kingston presents them as “Whisper-Quiet” at their website. I lowered the fan rotation speed to around 2500rpm where I felt the noise became a soft humming which didn’t disturb me at all.

A little note about the noise is that I did the test in with a system on my desk, not mounted in a case which would further diminish the noise level

CONCLUSIONS

This is clearly a product built for gamers, overclockers and other true enthusiasts from the PC genre. The Kingston HyperX Fan is a product which makes your system look cooler and which actually makes it cooler in the true sense of the word. Maybe it’s not the most useful product in the world, considering its limited compatibility, but if you want to spice up your system a bit; it’s a must have.

The noise level on max speed wasn’t acceptable to me, but when I lowered the rotation speed I had not problem at all with it. The price of the unit is around $25 (18€) which seems perfectly alright to me.

Pros:

• Made of anodized aluminum
• Attractive design
• Good cooling performance
• Low price

Cons:

• Noisy at full rotation speed
• Poor compatibility

The final score is 85 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Kingston HyperX Fan” our Recommended Award.

Thanks goes out to Kingston for letting me review this cooler.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: Be Quiet! recently updated their product line with the Silent Wings USC case fans, which incorporates some new and very interesting features to produce the maximum ratio of air volume moved / noise emitted.

Be Quiet is a German manufacturer most known for their high quality power supplies. Today I will be taking a look at their new case fans called “Silent Wings”.

INTRODUCTION

The great majority of PC users don’t know about the difference between high quality fans and the ones that comes with standard desktop computers. There are many manufacturers in this market but if we are talking about high quality, long lived and silent case fans, it comes down to only a few manufacturers. Be Quiet wants a piece of that market and are clearly directing the Silent Wings fans towards enthusiasts and expert PC users. They market them as extremely silent, long lived and being able to move a great volume of air.

The German manufacturer introduces interesting materials and techniques to achieve the proclaimed features of these fans. They call this technique the “Ultra Silent Concept” (USC) and it includes the following:

• Innovation: Screw less anti-vibration fixtures and rubberized fan frame protected by German utility patent .
  Effect: Quiet operation thanks to the reduction of vibrations and simple installation without tools.
• Innovation: High-airflow-performance design with flow-optimized fan blades on both sides, protected by German utility patent.
  Effect: Quiet operation and optimum airflow.
• Innovation: A high-quality IC controls the motor.
  Effect: Minimization of electrical noises at a constantly high running smoothness.

The above will accordingly to Be Quiet, give the fans a 300.000 hours life span. Let’s take a look at the specifications:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The packaging of the three models is identical, only their dimensions are different. As you can see from the image below, the boxes are black with white and yellow printing on them. The front part can be flipped over and behind it, we can get a glimpse of the fan itself.

The Silent Wings 12V bundle includes an adapter from 3 to 4 pins, a reducer from 12V to 7V for a quieter operation without having to use the regulator, and 5 “silent screws” which are made of plastic screws with rubber plates (for fastening the fan to the case). The fact that the plastic screws are rigid facilitates the installation (not like other fans I have tested previously which use rubber screws).

IN DETAIL

All three models look exactly the same except for their size. They are made in a blackish color, only the color of the Be Quiet logo differs. At the beginning of the review I talked about the USC concept and one of the things included in that concept is the fact that the frames are made of an anti vibration material. This, together with the fastening screws described above, makes it impossible for the fan to transmit any vibrations to the case.

Another thing included in the USC concept, is the innovative design of the fan blades which you can see in greater detail in the image below. According to Be Quiet!, this design maximizes the ratio between the volume of air moved and the noise level produced by the fan.

Yet another USC feature is the “Dynamic Bearing” electrical motor which has a copper core. The result of this innovation is a lower electrical noise from the motor when it operates at the maximum speed. Another result of this technology is that the mechanical friction is reduced to a minimum and thus a quieter operation is achieved. The use of copper in the motor, also improves the heat dissipation coming from the motor, which prolongs the life span of the fan and gives the Silent Wings fan a life span about 5 to 10 times longer that the life span of traditional case fans.

It seems like Be Quiet! has thought of everything. I love the fact that the Silent Wing fans can be operated at a voltage of 3.5V. Normally case fans use 12V but some models in the high end segment have an adapter which lets them operate at only 7V. The Silent Wings are to my knowledge the only fans on the market that are able to work at a voltage of 3.5V.

Not only the finish and the features of the fan itself are great, the cables and connectors have been given great attention. The power connector is of standard 3 pin type, but is possible to modify with an adapter which lets us regulate the fan speed. The wire has a length of 450mm, which is great because it facilitates the arrangement of cables inside the case.

TESTING

The tests performed in this review are somewhat subjective, because I lack instruments to measure actual noise level and the actual volume of air these fans are able to move. Nevertheless, I have tested many different case fans previously so I have a lot of experience in what to look for and expect. My observation of the operation of the three models has been realized with a voltage of 12V.

120mm fan

92mm fan

80mm fan

When the Silent Wings are operating at 12V they generate the maximum moved volume of air. As I said above, I have tested many high end case fans from prestigious marks and when comparing the performance of the Silent Wing in terms of the volume of air moved, I must say I was very impressed. The fact that these fans generate a great air flow is partly due to the fact that they have a higher than normal rotating speed (1500RPM for the 120mm; 1800RPM for the 92mm; 2000RPM for the 80mm). This also results in a noise level slightly higher that what I am used to with high end fans in corresponding sizes. But I wouldn’t say that the noise level is in any way high, quite the opposite they are very quiet.

When running the fans at lower speeds the noise level drastically diminishes. I tried running the fans at both 7V and 3.5V and at 3.5V the fans are almost not possible to detect at all. The fact that you can run these fans in different modes makes them attractive to both HTPC builders and overclockers.

CONCLUSIONS

Clearly, Be Quiet! has put some serious work in research and development before launching these fans to the market and they have done a nice work in innovating a rather stale market and product type. Everything about these fans has been thoroughly thought through and the innovations have proved themselves to be working just as planned in my tests. The prices for the fans are 15€, 13€, and 10€ for the 120mm; 92mm and 80mm respectively.

The final score is 95 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Be Quiet! Silent Wings USC” our Editor’s Choice Award.

Thanks to Be Quiet! For letting me review these fans.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: Tacens sent us a really compact notebook cooler this time. After having reviewed the Tacens Fero I was eager to test something more portable, which could fit in my notebook bag. This first attempt at a portable notebook cooler by Tacens, does however leave me wanting more.

Tacens is a young company, they started their business in 2005, but they have grown quickly and taken their place in the computer accessory market. Some of their new products this season are their notebook coolers; Fero, Trio and Fero Light. Three different approaches to the same problem; high heat emitting laptops.

INTRODUCTION

After having reviewed the Tacens Fero, it is time to take a closer look at the much smaller Trio. The Trio wants to be an efficient and quiet notebook cooler, the keywords are portability and lightness, something that clearly separates it from its big brother Fero.

My first impressions of the Trio were good, I liked the different angles and forms it can take. Let’s look at the specifications:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

We recognize the design of the box from the other Tacens products we have reviewed. It goes in black and white, with descriptions of the product in seven languages.

Inside the box we found the Trio protected by bubble plastic. In addition to the product itself, we found the the cable and a simple manual that describes the function of the Trio.

IN DETAIL: TACENS TRIO

Like the Tacens Fero, the Trio is made of plastic ABS with a leather finishing which adds to its smoothness and style.

The Tacens Trio has two hinges fastened to the central triangle that allows it to adopt several different positions. It’s the versatility of the Trio that allows it to take different forms and have different functions. When the cooler is unfolded it can be used as a notebook cooler and when it’s unfolded it can be used as an ordinary desktop fan. There is no great mystery on how to use this product as a desktop fan, just connect it to an USB port an put the fan on you desk in a position you like and there you go.

However, the main purpose of the Tacens Trio is to work as a laptop cooler. So let’t take a look at the most important characteristics of the Trio. The Tacens Trio is built around two Tacens Dawn Pro 60mm fans, identical to the fans on the Tacens Fero. The Tacens Fero however, has four if these quiet fans.

The underside of the Trio is not much to talk about. It has some rubber anti-slippers to secure it to the surface it is placed upon. It also has drop down lifters which you can see on the picture below, to enable a higher angle and some ergonomics. Compared to the four settings available on the Tacens Fero, this is not much and leaves us stuck with only two possible positions with little variation.

The dimensions and small weight are what truly makes the Tacens Trio special. I have never before seen a notebook cooler with these characteristics. It’s light and small and fits in my laptop bag and will become a regular companion on my trips. In spite of its small dimensions, the Trio can be used with bigger laptops as well.

INSTALLATION AND TESTS

The installation of the Tacens Trio only requires you to connect one end of the cable to the connector on the notebook cooler and the other and to a free USB port on your laptop. As simple as that, no extra power adaptor needed.

To realize the actual testing of the Tacens Trio we used a laptop with the following specifications:

• Intel core 2 duo T7300 (2x2Ghz)
• Intel GM965 (Intel X3100)
• Toshiba MK1637GSX (160GB, 5400rpm, 8MB cache)
• Kingston HyperX 5300 CL4 (2x1GB, 4-5-5)

To measure the temperatures, we used the software “Everest 3.5″. We setup two different scenarios; “full load” and “idle”. The full load scenario means we pushed the system to max load for 20 minutes with the software Cinebench 9.5. The idle scenario means we just left the notebook doing nothing at all for 20 minutes, just being idle in Windows XP, which we used as operating system for both scenarios. The results are the shown in the graph below.

As you can see from the graph the values obtained by the Tacens Trio are very poor. We noticed almost no temperature drop at all either at full load or idle mode. It only managed to cool the CPU and HDD one tiny degree (centigrades) during the full load scenario. The most probable reason for the poor cooling performance has to be that the fans maximum rotation speed is only 1500 RPM. Because Tacens did not include a potentiometer, we were not able to boost the speed of the fans which would perhaps have helped the performance a bit.

The noise generated by the Tacens “Dawn Pro” fans is not much to talk about, they are really quiet.

CONCLUSIONS

While Tacens have succeeded in constructing a very portable and quiet notebook cooler, they have failed on its most important characteristics; the cooling performance. I still like the idea of this product, but one can not neglect that the Trio fails to impress me overall, it just doesn’t dissapate heat as much as it should. It scores some points for design and portability but falls short on its cooling performance.

The final score is 60 out of 100 owls.

Check out hundreds of other cool Notebook coolers and stands at TestSeek.com.

We especially recommend you to check out the most popular coolers for the moment:

• Zalman ZM-NC2000
• ThermalTake iXoft Notebook Cooler
• Cooler Master Notepal Infinite
• Cooler Master NotePal X1
• NZXT Cryo LX
• Antec Notebook Cooler 200

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: Zalman’s first hybrid cooler, the VF2000 LED is an interesting product to say the least, it can cool either a CPU or a GPU. In this review we will take a look at what it can do, both as a VGA and CPU cooler.

The great competition on the cooler market has greatly benefited consumers. We have seen VGA coolers on the market for quite some time now, but this is the first GPU/CPU hybrid cooler we have seen.

INTRODUCTION

The demands made by today’s powerful GFX cards sometimes require better cooling than what the reference coolers can offer, at least to users who want either a more quiet cooling solution or are looking to reduce heat development. Generally though, today’s reference video card coolers work well enough, but they often don’t dissipate heat as well as coolers from third party manufacturers, particularly those from Zalman. The Zalman VF2000 LED was first conceived as a VGA cooler, but this prestigious Korean manufacturer then sought to revolutionize the market with a new concept: a hybrid cooler, which also cools CPUs. The Zalman VF2000 LED is a low-profile cooler that is ideal for HTPCs, and that can be used with most of today’s graphics cards. It makes this cooler very versatile.

It will be interesting to see what effects this versatility has on performance, if any. Before going into details about the Zalman VF2000 LED, let’s take a look at its technical specifications:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Zalman VF2000 LED comes in a cardboard box that is mostly white on top and on one side. On the back and the other side, the colors are mostly black and blue. At the top, Zalman makes much of the “hybrid cooler” concept, using all caps to emphasize that the product works both for VGA cards and for CPUs. Further down, we can directly see this cooler’s most striking features. A hole in the package shows the fan and the finish of the fins.

The back of the package has a photo that shows an installation with two Zalman VF2000 LEDs — one for the CPU and the other for the VGA card. The product’s technical features and specs are listed next to the photo, in various languages. The back also has a smaller hole, which shows off Zalman’s good work on the base of the product.

One side of the package doesn’t say much. It has the same labeling as at the top of the front, but this time it’s displayed vertically. On the other side is a list of the graphics cards and processors with which the VF2000 LED is compatible.

When you open the box, you see the cooler enclosed between two pieces of high-impact plastic. They are held together by a button closure and completely protect the VF2000 LED from any problems that might arise in transport. Along with the cooler, there’s a white cardboard box that contains all the accessories needed to install it. The VF2000 LED comes with some common accessories, and with others that are specific to the task of installing it as either a VGA or CPU cooler. Among the common accessories are small tubes of single-use thermal paste, which keep the paste in perfect condition, and a fan controller called the FAN MATE 2. To install the VF2000 LED on a graphics card, there are memory coolers, plus the fasteners needed for them. There are also anchors for installing the VF2000 LED as a CPU cooler, for both the Intel and AMD platforms.

Although the compatibility list for the VF2000 LED is very long, you should make sure which graphics cards and processors can use it.

A DETAILED LOOK AT THE ZALMAN VF2000 LED

The VF2000 LED was originally made as a VGA cooler, which allowed it to benefit from some of the features of that type of cooler. The low profile of the VF2000 LED lets it cool areas around the motherboard, through an airflow that is circulated from low areas to high by the action of the cooler’s built-in fan. But the fact that it was originally designed as a VGA cooler limits its size, producing a unit with less dissipation area than its competitors in the HTPC market. The hybrid concept behind the VF2000 LED may limit its efficiency when it comes to cooling a CPU.

The VF2000 LED has first-class finishing. The fans are made of aluminum with a thickness of 0.3 mm (0.01″). This improves the cooling of the component on which the unit is installed. The VF2000 LED has 4 heatpipes soldered to its base which are made of pure copper.

Looking at the top of the VF2000 LED, we can see the heatpipes that run across it, and its fan. The fan is 92 mm (3.6″) in diameter and includes a blue LED that adds an elegant modding effect. Unfortunately, those who don’t like the light will have to get used to it – it can’t be deactivated.

The fan is powered by a 3-pin connector that does not allow regulation of its rotation speed. However, for the VF2000 LED, as for many of its products, Zalman has included the FAN MATE 2. This is a controller that uses a potentiometer to adjust rotation speed as needed. When the adjustment wheel is turned completely counter-clockwise, the fan runs in Quiet Mode, at around 19 dBA. When turned clockwise, it runs in Performance Mode, at around 29 dBA. You can adjust the speed anywhere between these limits, to meet your needs.

There’s nothing important to mention about the sides of the VF2000 LED. There are two engraved inscriptions that highlight the unit’s versatility and make it clear that it’s a hybrid cooler.

The care with which the base of the VF2000 LED has been finished shows the high quality on which Zalman prides itself. The base has been polished to achieve an incredible mirror effect. This polishing is among the best we’ve ever seen.

The unit’s small size, and its use of materials such as aluminum, give it a weight of only 290 grams (10.2 ounces).

INSTALLATION AND TESTING

Installing the VF2000 LED as a VGA cooler is very simple. Place the memory heatsinks included with the accessories over the graphics card’s memory chips. Then, install the Nipples (A) on the unit’s Retention Kit and tighten them from behind with nuts, as shown in the manual (the manual warns you to tighten them only by hand, not with tools). Finally, connect the fan’s cable.

Follow the same guidelines to install the VF2000 LED on a CPU. Use the appropriate clip (A for Intel or B for AMD). Then install the Nipples (B) as shown in the manual, and tighten them from behind with nuts.

The last step is connecting the fan. This can be done in two different ways. You can connect it directly to a 3-pin connector on the motherboard (which keeps you from controlling the fan speed). Or you can use the FAN MATE 2. This unit uses a cable with two connectors on one end. One connects to the motherboard, and the other to the VF2000 LED’s fan. The other end of the cable has a 6-pin connector that connects directly to the FAN MATE 2.You can install inside the case, or on the outside, using double-sided tape.

To test the VF2000 LED’s performance, we used an AMD Phenom II X4 920 with a stock configuration. The Phenom II X4 920 is a 4-core processor that runs at 2.8 GHz. The voltage used in the test was 1.35 V.

To load the processor as much as possible, we used the OCCT 3.0.1 program, which keeps the processor load at around 99% for the 20 minutes that it takes to run the test.

We used the software to measure temperatures without load before starting the test, and without running any other application. We then measured the temperatures under load when the test completed. The results shown below were obtained with an environmental temperature of 22˚C (71.6˚F).

This test of the VF2000 LED was very demanding, since we were working with one of the most powerful AMD processors on the market. The unit certainly achieved good temperatures without load, but when the processer was working at maximum load, the cooler’s performance suffered. The AMD Phenom II X4 920 registered a maximum working temperature of 62˚C (143.6˚F). This isn’t outstanding at all — quite the contrary. Zalman recommends that the VF2000 LED not be used with processors with over 110 W of TDP (Thermal Design Power). In this case, the processor had 140 W.

To summarize, you should keep in mind that the Zalman VF2000 LED isn’t the best cooler for high-range processors, but if you respect the limits imposed by the TDP, it can be a very interesting cooler for mid-range processors. It goes without saying that this is not an appropriate cooler for extreme overclocking, especially when using high-range processors.

To test the VF2000 LED on cooling a GPU, we used an ATI Radeon HD 4850. We ran various tests with the GPU operating at different speeds. We used the Furmark 1.7 test while running the Xtreme Burning Mode for 30 minutes per testing period. The unit’s fan was running at maximum speed.

The results of the VGA tests were sensational. They clearly show that the VF2000 LED was designed from the start as a VGA cooler. The temperatures it achieved astonished us, especially since the VGA temperature never surpassed 50˚C (122˚F), even when running at full load. The VF2000 LED left plenty of room for overclocking our graphics card, letting us control the heat generated by the VGA card and therefore prolonging its life.

The fan noise produced in the various tests was minimal. Even when the fan was working at the highest speeds, the noise it generated was perfectly bearable, and not at all bothersome.

These tests showed the cooling efficiency of the Zalman VF2000 LED. As a CPU cooler it’s not among the best, especially with high-range processors. Still, when installed on a graphics card, it has above-average performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Zalman has continued to pleasantly surprise us by launching a hybrid cooler that can be installed on a CPU and a VGA card. Although this is a very risky concept, Zalman’s quality thinking shows throughout the VF2000 LED. The result is a product with a unique design, well manufactured by this Korean company, and with sensational features. It stands out above all as a VGA cooler. The Zalman VF2000 LED costs about 38 Euros ($55). This is an extraordinary price for one of the most versatile products in the marketplace, one that will please anyone looking for a VGA cooler that can also be installed as a CPU cooler (rather than the reverse).

The final score is 88 out of 100 owls and we give the “Zalman VF2000 LED Hybrid VGA/CPU Cooler” our Recommended Award.

Thanks to Zalman for providing the VF2000 LED.

See all expert reviews of the VF2000 LED at TestSeek.com.

Author: Noel Íñiguez Fernández

Translator: Ed Winograd

Summary: The Tacens Fero is aiming to become one of the best laptop coolers in the market and it is really doing a good job. With its four 60mm fans it produces a strong air flow without emitting too much noise.

Heat emissions have always been an issue with laptops and the constant race towards higher CPU and GPU performance hasn’t made much contribution to solving the problem. Even the name “Lap-top” suggests we are talking about a product suitable for your lap. But everyone who has tried some serious gaming while resting the laptop in their lap, knows what kind of heat we are talking about (and what it does to your nuts). So the last couple of years, while the laptop sales have peaked, we have seen a lot of new products on the market, aiming to solve this problem. A couple of weeks back we reviewed the “Nexus TDD-9000 Laptop Cooling Pad” and today we will be taking a look a more advanced laptop cooler, the Tacens Fero.

INTRODUCTION

As I said above, we recently tested another laptop cooling pad from Nexus, based on a gel. However interesting the gel solution might be for the future, most manufacturers still rely on the classic rotating fan as the cooling component for their laptop coolers.

Tacens’ earlier laptop coolers are all quite satisfacting to use and with the Fero, Tacens have tried to remove all the small “defects” and annoyances of the previous models. The result is a nice looking, efficient and sturdy portable laptop cooler, suitable both for the lap and on your desk. Let’s take a look at the specifications:

The packaging of the Tacens Fero has a similar design as the rest of  Tacens’ products. Inside the box we found the Tacens Fero protected by bubble plastic. We also found a small manual which explains how to setup and operate the unit in several languages.

On the backside of the product, you will find six rubber circles which helps to keep the Tacens Fero in place when placed on your desk. You will also find the leverage function which has four positions and of course controls the angle of you laptop. This is great because it means you can adjust the height of your laptop screen to fit your other screen (if you use two). Also, when placed on the highest support level, it leaves a lot of room on your desk which can be used to place an ergonomic keyboard while keeping the laptop screen fairly close to your eyes. Finally, in the back of the Tacens Fero you will find a cover which holds the USB cable included with the Fero.

On the left side of the Tacens Fero you will find a hub of 3 USB ports, one miniUSB2, a switch with three positions which allows you to deactivate all the fans or to only use two or all four fans, a LED which indicates the number of fans currently in use and finally, a potentiometer that regulates the speed of operation of the fans.

 

 

 

 

The Tacens Fero have some unique details compared to other laptop coolers on the market. First of all, the use of four fans is not very common and should allow a better cooling performance. Naturally using four fans rather than one or two should make the overall air flow stronger which thus provides a better cooling experience. Secondly, beacuse the cooling fans are placed over a bigger surface it should be effective with most laptops on the market, as you know, not all laptops have the heat generating parts in the same place. We also feel the Tacens Fero takes some extra points for it diversity of use, both as a laptop stand on your desk and as a laptop cooler on you lap.  Thirdly, the 3 port USB hub improves the connectivity of your laptop and allows you to add more devices and compensates the loss of the two USB ports needed to connect the Tacens Fero to your laptop.

 

We have really tried to think of any defects in the design or construction of the Tacens Fero, but we haven’t come up with much to mention.

INSTALLATION AND TESTS

The installation of the cooler is very simple, just place the laptop on the cooler and connect the USB cable to your laptop. Note that the Fero requires the power from two USB ports to run. The other end of the cable of course connects to the cooler itself and also activates the USB hub.

 

 

Summary: NEXUS is a company that continues to offer high-end cooling solutions to us lovers of silence. Today we will be taking a look at the NEXUS FLC-300 heatsink.

In the past, we have tested some products from NEXUS, and generally, they all left us very satisfied. I especially think of the LOW-7000, a small heatsink that produced excellent performance. Therefore, it will be a please to see what the FLC-3000 can do compared to its older siblings.

INTRODUCTION

The FLC-3000 is based on the principles that we saw in the LOW-7000 but the 3000 has an increased overall cooling surface and also uses a different fan. Let’s take a look at the specifications:

Simlar to what we saw on the LOW-7000, the FLC-3000 has heatpipes and a SkiveTek base, but the engineers have added a a 30 degree angle to the heatpipes which holds the heatsink itself in that angle. This fan also has two LEDs which glow in orange which we will show you a snapshot of later.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The FLC-3000 comes in a regular square cardboard box with some Nexus graphics on it. The box itself is very sturdy and the heatsink seems well protected. You can also have a glimpse of the heatsink itself through the plastic.

On the below images you can have a more detailed look of the box and its contents. As you see, the contents are nothing in access of what you can expect; the bottom mounting plate and screws etc.

The manual included comes in handy for beginners and it is very detailed which is a good thing, not everyone is an experienced modder. The mounting kit includes accessories for mounting the heatsink on both Intel and AMD sockets (Intel 1366 and 775, AMD AM3, AM2+ and AM2). Nexus also included a thermal paste and a little a trowel to apply the thermal paste without staining the hands to us.

NEXUS FLC-3000 IN DETAIL

Perhaps the most eye catching feature of the FLC-3000, at least compared to the LOW- 7000, is the 30 degree angle of the heatsink itself, it really looks strange to the eye at first. However, it’s clear that the heatsink is suitable for cases of small dimensions, the size of the fins clearly suggests this and the height of 119mm is not that much compared to other heatsinks in the same category.

The fan on the heatsink is a standard 92mm and is anchored directly to the fins of the FLC-3000. The air flow that it provides obviously cools the fins and the SkiveTek base, which absorbs great amount of the heat generated by the processor. The 4 pin power connector is of the standard type with PWM connectivity. It allowed us to regulate the fan speed between 900 and 2500 rpm by using a speed monitoring software compatible with PWM.

For those of you who do not know what a SkiveTek base is, have a look at the image above and look for the aluminium part placed directly on top of the copper base. The SkiveTek base is considered to be a crucial part of the overall cooling performance of the FLC-3000.

The copper base of the FLC-3000 is something extra. I believe that the images above speak for them selves. The base is extremely well polished and might as well be used as a mirror. We actually picked up the old magnifying glass and had a closer look at it. Still we couldn’t detect any defects on it. Nice.

INSTALLING NEXUS FLC-3000

The installation of this heatsink is really simple, although it seems to us that the mounting system for Intel is easier to use than the one for AMD. However both are perfectly safe and offer a controlled pressure on  the processor at all times. In order to install the anchorages we needed to slightly relax the 4 screws of the base, to introduce the anchorages and then we tightened the screws to fit the heatsink nicely to the motherboard.

Above you can see the light that the LEDS produced when the NEXUS FLC-3000 was in operation. Personally I didn’t really like the color of the lights from the fan, but of course that’s my subjective opinion.

INSTALLATION AND TESTS

Because it is always relevant to compare the testing results with result from previous heatsink reviews, we resorted to the same system in which we tested the Cooler Masters Hyper N520:

We tested the fan in two modes, “stock” and “overclock”. The only difference is that in the “overclock mode” we pushed the Phenom II  to 3500MHz (250×14). In both tests we used 1,4Volts to power the processor.

In order to realize the measurements we used the software OCCT 3.1.0. The tests were made in 30 minutes intervals. We noted the temperatures in full load and in idle mode, we also noted the surrounding air temperature in the case. These are the results we obtained:

The temperatures that Nexus FLC-3000 produced seem very good to us. As we said above we think that the SkiveTek base plays a fundamental role in keeping the temperatures down and this is something we would like to see more of in the future when engineers are pushing the frontiers regarding the size of these types of heatsinks.

Thanks to the angle of the fan this heatsink really helps to keep the circulation of air going in the case and because it’s possible to place the fan in all directions (Intel platform) this comes real handy. With the AMD platform we had to to orient the fan towards either memories or the connectors of the mainboard.

As we hoped, NEXUS have included a very silent fan, it emits almost no noise at all, especially on the lowest RPM setting. When we turn it up to 2500 RPM, the noise becomes noticably higher but never so high it disturbs us.

CONCLUSIONS

Again, Nexus impresses us with a product of theirs. They have returned to the mainstream area with the FLC-3000 and gives us an excellent heatsink which excells on its low noise level. The cooling perfomance is not in any way exceptional, but it does its job well.

As usual the build quality and finish are both excellent, with a big plus for the polished copper base. The LEDs are a nice touch if you are into that kind of stuff, it gives the heatsink an edge in our view.

The price of around $50 bucks is not that high compared to similare heatsinks, it’s actually on the lower side of the median price for a high end heatsink cooler with LEDs. We have to give this heatsink good scores, the table of highs and lows below speaks for itself. We do believe the Nexus FLC-3000 to be a good buy especially if you are looking for a not too expensive cooler with great low noise features.

The final score is 92 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Nexus FLC-3000” our Editor’s Choice Award.

Thanks to NEXUS for letting us test this product.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: The Nexus TDD-9000 is a bold and innovative product that promises great advantages compared to traditional coolers for portable computers.

We’ve tested many cooling systems for laptops. In general, they all depend on active cooling from fans. Although they’re generally quiet, they also consume a large amount of electricity. Nexus has given us a very innovative cooler for portables. We’re sure it will impress you as much as it impressed us.

INTRODUCTION

The Nexus TDD-9000 is more than just a cooler. We’d call it an advanced cooling system, which uses gel to do its work.

Let’s start by looking at the TDD-9000′s features:

• Cools by using a patented liquid
• Finished in black velvet
• Completely silent: 0 dB!
• Doesn’t use electricity
• Universally compatible
• Light, foldable, and easy to carry, weighing only 500 grams (17.6 ounces)
• Dimensions: 400 x 290 mm (15.7 x 11.4″)

As a cooling system, the TDD-9000 is certainly a bit strange. But we also recognize that it’s truly innovative and is definitely worth a look.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Nexus TDD-9000 cooling pad comes in a large, but very practical bag, which lets you see the product. The packaging briefly describes the TDD-9000 and promises to lower your portable computer’s temperature by up to 17ºC (62.6ºF).

The back of the package explains some of the product’s features in detail. It includes two graphics with the results that an independent lab obtained in its performance testing. The graphics say it all — if we could get only half the promised improvement, we’d celebrate!

A DETAILED LOOK AT THE NEXUS TDD-9000

It’s time to take a close look at the TDD-9000, so we’ll take it out of its protective plastic shell. The first thing we noticed (you can’t help it!) is the very pleasant feel of the pad’s 100% velvet cover.

When we heard that the TDD-9000 was filled with gel, we thought it would be pretty rigid. But it’s totally moldable, as you’ll see in the images above and below, where we bend and fold it. If you’re short on space, no problem — you can fold it and put it in a small box, or even fold it into a ball.

The TDD-9000 is made of excellent material. You can see that in the Nexus logo in the lower left corner. We were afraid of tearing the pad, which could cause a serious problem if the gel leaked out. But the materials are very good, and the pad as a whole should be very resistant.

TESTING THE NEXUS TDD-9000

To test the TDD-9000 we used tools based on Intel’s Santa Rosa platform: a Core 2 Duo T7300 with a 965GM chipset, X3100 graphics, and a Toshiba MK1637GSX hard disk. Our laptop has a 15.4″ screen. When we put it on top of the TDD-9000, we saw that the pad is large enough to accommodate even larger laptops. I’d venture to say that you wouldn’t have problems even with a 17″ screen.

For our temperature tests, we used the CINEBENCH R10 benchmark, which let us simultaneously exercise the processor, chipset, and graphics card. Here are the results:

Our results were far from the improvements certified by the Taiwanese test lab. But they were appreciable. Even a reduction of 2ºC (3.6ºF) is welcome in a portable computer. We also noticed that we didn’t get any noise reduction benefit, as we did when we tested cooling units that used fans.

I was pleased that I had no problem keeping the computer on my lap when I used the TDD-9000, even for long periods of time. The bottom of the pad was always cold. It seems that by using the TDD-9000, we can finally use a laptop in bed to watch movies or to work in a relaxed state, with nothing to bother us.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nexus TDD-9000 is definitely a novel and impressive, even bold product. That’s the only way to make a name for itself in the market.

As a cooling pad, the TDD-9000 has many virtues, such as its excellent materials, good feel, lightness, and easy storage (even in pant pockets). At first, we had great hopes for its ability to lower temperatures. While those benefits ended up being much smaller, we think they may be adequate.

Something else that caught our attention was that the TDD-9000 doesn’t reduce a laptop’s fan noise, something that does improve with active coolers. But we also realized that when we used this pad, we could put the computer on our lap without being bothered by the heat.

In short, Nexus has done a good job with its TDD-9000. If it can somehow improve the pad’s performance, it will have an excellent product. It’s available at several places for as low as $25.

The final score is 75 out of 90 owls, which is 83.3 out of 100. We give the “Nexus TDD-9000 Laptop Cooling Pad” our Recommended Award.

Thanks to Nexus and ThunderIT Ibérica for letting us test the TDD-9000.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Ed Winograd